My Life in Little Bags

SCENE
Time is dusk, a mid-May day in the Kamu tribal village of Ban Na Lam in Northern Laos. It is dry and warm, but not hot. The village is small, 30 thatched-roof houses, and teaming with activity - pigs, dogs, chickens, and children roam freely - women attend to various domestic chores - men are absent, having not returned from the rice fields. The village has no roads, no electricity, no running water. Our characters lounge on wooden benches, seated on the porch of the thatched-roof bungalow where they will spend the night. Having trekked for 5 hours, led by local guides, the characters now relax and await a traditional Lao dinner they will have with the village chief.

CHARACTERS
Caro - 26, Australian, female. Dressed in baggy yoga-type pants, long-sleeves with stripes, and a bandanna. Her head is adorned with a heaping pile of thick dreadlocks. Intelligent, well-educated, and witty. An extensive traveller, her passport scarcely has room for the immigration stamp she will get when she leaves Laos. For 6 years, Caro has split time between odd jobs (cook, shoe-sales-woman, internet-cafe-attendant, etc...) and travelling the world. Starting to think about "settling down" to attend grad school.

Lucy - 21, British, female. Dressed in "hiking trousers" that are "very functional without compromising style", short-sleeves of a synthetic material, and an entire tube of bug-repellent. Intelligent, naive, and still a bit mystified by the world. Yet to start Uni, has been working odd jobs in sales and travelling a bit within Western Europe. Did a 3-week trip in Mongolia last year that seems to have awakened something within her. Might have "a thing" for our last character, but hasn't revealed as much.

Tim - 26, American, male. Dressed in poly-pro head-to-toe: pants, long-sleeves, socks, boxers and it all smells pretty bad. Indifferent to dirtiness and smelliness, but not with out a self-conscious side. Fairly intelligent, well-educated, and likes to think of himself as witty. Not an extensive traveller, but not a novice either. Worked as a well-paid engineer for 3 years before, somewhat spontaneously, quitting to seek "adventures." Meticulous and absent-minded at the same time... likes to think he's out there "finding himself."

ACT-1
caro - "I'm kinda bored. Anyone have a deck of cards?"
lucy - "not me."
tim - "nope."
caro - "I swear this is the hundredth time I've wished I had some cards. I don't know why I haven't bought a deck by now."
lucy - "I don't know any games anyway."
caro - "Hey Tim, you got anything cool in that massive pack?"

[caro and lucy cary only day-packs on the 2-day trek, while tim carries nearly his full pack. He left his stove, tent, sleeping pad, and books in town, but not much else.]

tim - "It's not that massive... is it?"
caro - "I guess not, but we're only out here for 2 days. I mean, what's in there besides some toiletries and a change of clothes?"
tim - "I brought my 10-Essentials, plus my camer..."
lucy - "10 what?"
tim - "Never mind... I know it's pretty ridiculous... for only 2 days I mean."
caro - "Whatever... so, you got any cool toys in there?"
lucy - "Yay, toys!"
tim - "Well..." [digs in the top pouch] "here's a compass..."
caro - "Ooo... it's all fancy. Look it has a mirror."
lucy - "Let me see!"
tim - "Hmmm... what else... I mean, what do you guys want? I can show you pictures on my camera."
caro - "nooo... come on, what else you got in there?"
tim - "oh, here's my Leatherman."
lucy - [snatches Leatherman] "I love these things... my dad has one. He's a plumber."
caro - "let me see."
tim - "here, let me see what else I've got." [now opens main compartment of pack and begins emptying contents]
lucy - "Oh my God, Look! He has everything in cute little bags!"
tim - "they're stuff sacks." [mumbles, feeling a bit self-conscious]
lucy - "Oh MY God, Look! They're all different colors! This is so cute."
tim - "they're... they're for..."
caro - "what've you got in them?" [chuckles]
tim - "this one has my extra clothing... this one my socks, boxers, bandanna, beanie, gloves..."
lucy - "gloves?!?"
caro - "yeah, gloves?"
tim - "yeah, yeah... they're liner gloves. I don't know what I was thinking... thought maybe I'd need them in the mountains."
lucy - "okay, okay... what's this one?"
tim - "my dirty clothes. And this one has my sleeping bag liner. And this one..."
caro - "Look..." [empties contents of the top pouch on the pack] "he has all this stuff in little zip-lok bags, too!"
tim - "ha-ha-ha... laugh it up."
lucy - "what's this one?" [snatches a zip-lok that has a rubber-band wrapped around]
tim - "my first-aid kit."
lucy - "and this?"
tim - "water treatment and fire starting stuff... matches, lighter..."
lucy - "and this?"
tim - "tools and repair stuff... cord, duct-tape, zip-ties, sewing kit... the Leatherman was in there."
lucy - "This is awesome! You're such a nerd!" [laughs uncontrollably]
tim - "alright, alright... I think that's enough fun for now. If you don't mind I'll be packing away my O.C. gear now."
caro - "Ohhh... don't be sore."
tim - "I'm not... I just know I'm a bit neurotic..."
caro - "I love people like you... I had this friend back home that was just like you. He'd make lists of things he needed to do, with check-boxes next to each thing. He'd tack them to his bedroom walls. He loved checking those boxes. I bet I know exactly what your bedroom looks like..."
tim - "I never had check-boxes..." [grumbles - mostly just for show]
caro - "Oh come on... I love people like you. People like you help me to get my life into nice little bags."
tim - "ha-Ha! Sweet. So I've got that goin' for me."